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Coronavirus Live Updates: Some U.S. Retailers Quietly End ‘Hero Pay’ For Essential Workers Despite Surge Coronavirus Live Updates: Trump Administration Walks Back Rule That Would Have Stripped Some Foreign Student Visas
(about 2 hours later)
Many retailers across the United States have quietly stopped paying their employees “hero pay,” despite surging virus numbers across the country. Their rationale: The panic buying that flooded stores during the early days of the pandemic has waned. The Trump administration has walked back a policy that would have stripped international college students of their U.S. visas if their coursework was entirely online, ending a proposed plan that had thrown the higher education world into turmoil.
Stop & Shop is the latest retailer to end the 10 percent pay raise it gave its 56,000 employees at the height of the pandemic, as an acknowledgment that their work was essential and appreciated. Amazon, Kroger and Albertsons have also ended pandemic hourly pay raises, though some of them continue to give out bonuses. ShopRite said it planned to end its $2-an-hour raise early next month. The policy, announced on July 6, prompted an immediate lawsuit from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and on Tuesday, the government and the universities reached a resolution, according to the judge overseeing the case.
But while hoarding may be over, infection remains a very real threat, especially in environments like retail stores where it can be difficult to maintain social distance. The agreement reinstates a policy implemented in March amid the pandemic that gave international students flexibility to take all their classes online and remain legally in the country with student visas.
As dozens of states endure record levels of new cases, many workers say the job of the essential retail worker has actually become even more difficult than at the start of the health crisis. “Both the policy directive and the frequently asked questions would not be enforced anyplace” under the resolution, Judge Allison Burroughs said, adding that the agreement applied nationwide.
The politicization of mask-wearing has not helped. Store employees now risk heated and even violent confrontations when they remind customers and colleagues alike to cover their faces. The initial guidance, issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, would have required foreign students to take at least one in-person class or leave the country. Students who returned to their home countries when schools closed in March would not have been allowed back into the United States if their fall classes were solely online.
“What we are doing is still very risky,” said Eddie Quezada, a produce manager at a Stop & Shop store on Long Island who contracted the virus. “We should get at least something for that.” The higher education world was thrown into disarray, with most colleges already well into planning for the return to campus in the fall. Two days after it was announced, Harvard and M.I.T. filed the first of several lawsuits seeking to stop it.
But while health threats and other challenges for workers remain, the economics for their employers have changed. The surging sales of March, which allowed some retailers to pay for raises, have slumped at some stores. The attorneys general of at least 18 states, including Massachusetts and California, also sued, charging that the policy was reckless, cruel and senseless. Scores of universities threw their support behind the litigation, along with organizations representing international students.
On Tuesday, more than a dozen technology companies, including, Google, Facebook and Twitter also came out in support of the Harvard and M.I.T. lawsuit, arguing the policy would harm their businesses.
“America’s future competitiveness depends on attracting and retaining talented international students,” the companies said in court papers.
The Trump administration has ordered hospitals to bypass the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and, beginning on Wednesday, send all coronavirus patient information to a central database in Washington — a move that has alarmed public health experts who fear the data will be distorted for political gain.
The new instructions are contained in a little-noticed document posted this week on the Department of Health and Human Services’ website, Sheryl Gay Stolberg reports. From now on, H.H.S., and not the C.D.C., will collect daily reports about the patients that each hospital is treating, how many beds and ventilators are available, and other information vital to tracking the pandemic.
Officials say the change will streamline data gathering and assist the White House coronavirus task force in allocating scarce supplies like personal protective gear and the drug remdesivir. Some hospital officials welcome the move, saying it will relieve them of responding to requests from multiple federal agencies, though others said the C.D.C. should be collecting the data.
“The C.D.C. is the right agency to be at the forefront of collecting the data,” said Dr. Bala Hota, the chief analytics officer at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Public health experts have long expressed concerns that the administration is politicizing science and undermining the disease control centers; four former C.D.C. directors, spanning both Republican and Democratic administrations, said as much in an opinion piece published Tuesday in The Washington Post. The data collection shift reinforced those fears.
“Centralizing control of all data under the umbrella of an inherently political apparatus is dangerous and breeds distrust,” said Nicole Lurie, who served as assistant secretary for preparedness and response under former President Barack Obama. “It appears to cut off the ability of agencies like C.D.C. to do its basic job.”
The shift grew out of a tense conference call several weeks ago between hospital executives and Dr. Deborah L. Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator.
After Dr. Birx complained that hospitals were not adequately reporting their data, she convened a working group of government and hospital officials who devised the new plan, according to Janis Orlowski, chief health care officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges, who participated.
But news of the change came as a shock inside the C.D.C., which has long been responsible for gathering public health data, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it. A spokesman for the disease control centers referred questions to the Department of Health and Human Services, which has not responded to a request for comment.
The dispute exposes the vast gaps in the government’s ability to collect and manage health data — an antiquated system at best, experts say.
KEY DATA OF THE DAY
Florida, where the virus has been surging, set a record on Tuesday for the most new deaths it has reported in a single day: 132, according to a New York Times database.Florida, where the virus has been surging, set a record on Tuesday for the most new deaths it has reported in a single day: 132, according to a New York Times database.
The record in Florida, and another set on Tuesday in Alabama, which reported 40 deaths, comes as the number of U.S. deaths has begun to rise again after weeks of declines.The record in Florida, and another set on Tuesday in Alabama, which reported 40 deaths, comes as the number of U.S. deaths has begun to rise again after weeks of declines.
The nation was averaging 724 deaths a day as of Monday, up from below 500 a day as July began. While deaths are up, they remain far below the more than 2,200 deaths recorded each day during the deadliest phase of the outbreak in April. But 23 states are reporting more deaths each day than they were two weeks ago, according to the database.The nation was averaging 724 deaths a day as of Monday, up from below 500 a day as July began. While deaths are up, they remain far below the more than 2,200 deaths recorded each day during the deadliest phase of the outbreak in April. But 23 states are reporting more deaths each day than they were two weeks ago, according to the database.
Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged the rise in virus cases during a visit Tuesday to Louisiana, which is averaging more new cases each day than ever.
“This is a serious time with rising cases across Louisiana and all across the Sun Belt,” Mr. Pence said during a visit to a state emergency command center in Baton Rouge. But, he added, “We have more resources to deal with the pandemic than ever before.”
Florida’s worsening outbreak is complicating plans to hold the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville next month.Florida’s worsening outbreak is complicating plans to hold the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville next month.
Republicans officials are weighing plans to move the three nights of the convention from an indoor arena to an outdoor venue, Maggie Haberman reports. It’s still unclear how many people will be allowed to attend the events, people familiar with the discussions said Tuesday.Republicans officials are weighing plans to move the three nights of the convention from an indoor arena to an outdoor venue, Maggie Haberman reports. It’s still unclear how many people will be allowed to attend the events, people familiar with the discussions said Tuesday.
Since President Trump pushed to move the convention to Florida from Charlotte, N.C., last month after North Carolina officials refused to guarantee a convention free of social distancing and other health measures, the fortunes of the two states have diverged.Since President Trump pushed to move the convention to Florida from Charlotte, N.C., last month after North Carolina officials refused to guarantee a convention free of social distancing and other health measures, the fortunes of the two states have diverged.
While the average number of cases reported daily in North Carolina has grown to 1,831 from 1,066 since June 11, the day the convention was officially moved, the average number of cases reported daily in Florida has grown eightfold: to 10,855 from 1,269.While the average number of cases reported daily in North Carolina has grown to 1,831 from 1,066 since June 11, the day the convention was officially moved, the average number of cases reported daily in Florida has grown eightfold: to 10,855 from 1,269.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, wore a mask while speaking at an indoor news conference in Miami on Tuesday, a notable moment since he has been criticized for not mandating facial coverings statewide. He tried to acknowledge how difficult the pandemic has been for Floridians. “People are hurting,” he said.Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, wore a mask while speaking at an indoor news conference in Miami on Tuesday, a notable moment since he has been criticized for not mandating facial coverings statewide. He tried to acknowledge how difficult the pandemic has been for Floridians. “People are hurting,” he said.
He met with a group of local mayors, including the city of Miami’s mayor, who said it was “imperative” for people to hear the governor endorse mask use. Miami Beach’s mayor also urged the Mr. DeSantis to issue a mask mandate, and underscored the need for consistent messaging from the president to the governor to every other local official.He met with a group of local mayors, including the city of Miami’s mayor, who said it was “imperative” for people to hear the governor endorse mask use. Miami Beach’s mayor also urged the Mr. DeSantis to issue a mask mandate, and underscored the need for consistent messaging from the president to the governor to every other local official.
“We have to create a greater sense of urgency,” Miami Beach’s mayor said. “People will follow a path of least resistance.”“We have to create a greater sense of urgency,” Miami Beach’s mayor said. “People will follow a path of least resistance.”
Many retailers across the United States have quietly stopped paying their employees “hero pay,” despite surging virus numbers across the country. Their rationale: The panic buying that flooded stores during the early days of the pandemic has waned.
Stop & Shop is the latest retailer to end the 10 percent pay raise it gave its 56,000 employees at the height of the pandemic, as an acknowledgment that their work was essential and appreciated. Amazon, Kroger and Albertsons have also ended pandemic hourly pay raises, though some of them continue to give out bonuses. ShopRite said it planned to end its $2-an-hour raise early next month.
But while hoarding may be over, infection remains a very real threat, especially in environments like retail stores where it can be difficult to maintain social distance.
As dozens of states endure record levels of new cases, many workers say the job of the essential retail worker has actually become even more difficult than at the start of the health crisis.
The politicization of mask-wearing has not helped. Store employees now risk heated and even violent confrontations when they remind customers and colleagues alike to cover their faces.
“What we are doing is still very risky,” said Eddie Quezada, a produce manager at a Stop & Shop store on Long Island who contracted the virus. “We should get at least something for that.”
But while health threats and other challenges for workers remain, the economics for their employers have changed. The surging sales of March, which allowed some retailers to pay for raises, have slumped at some stores.
After months of equivocation over mandating face coverings to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain announced on Tuesday that people in England would be required to wear masks inside shops and supermarkets.After months of equivocation over mandating face coverings to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain announced on Tuesday that people in England would be required to wear masks inside shops and supermarkets.
The reversal, set to take effect next week, caps months of dithering over face coverings in England that many scientists found mystifying — and uneasily reminiscent of delays in imposing a lockdown in March, a decision that cost thousands of lives and has left Britain with one of the highest death rates in the world. The reversal, set to take effect next week, caps months of dithering over face coverings in England that many scientists found mystifying — and uneasily reminiscent of delays in imposing a lockdown in March, a decision that cost thousands of lives and has left Britain with one of the highest death rates in the world. More than 50,000 people in Britain have died from the virus, the third-highest total in the world.
More than 50,000 people in Britain have died from the virus, the third highest total in the world. The majority of the deaths were in England and Mr. Johnson’s government has faced intense criticism for its sometimes laissez-faire approach to public health measures, an attitude that was evident in its reluctance to make face coverings compulsory.
In mandating face masks, England followed the path of other European countries, like Germany and Italy, and other parts of the United Kingdom, like Scotland, which had already mandated face coverings. (Each country in the United Kingdom has power over its own public health measures and has moved at different speeds on matters like face coverings and reopening shops.)In mandating face masks, England followed the path of other European countries, like Germany and Italy, and other parts of the United Kingdom, like Scotland, which had already mandated face coverings. (Each country in the United Kingdom has power over its own public health measures and has moved at different speeds on matters like face coverings and reopening shops.)
Many scientists had pleaded for months with Mr. Johnson’s government to heed the growing evidence that masks could help stop the spread of the virus. Unlike in the United States, where feelings about masks often fall along political lines, England’s hesitation stemmed in part from a scientific debate among advisers about the masks’ usefulness.Many scientists had pleaded for months with Mr. Johnson’s government to heed the growing evidence that masks could help stop the spread of the virus. Unlike in the United States, where feelings about masks often fall along political lines, England’s hesitation stemmed in part from a scientific debate among advisers about the masks’ usefulness.
Masks have been mandatory on public transportation in England since mid-June. The government had previously encouraged masks in enclosed spaces, but Mr. Johnson resisted wearing one himself until Friday. As recently as this weekend, the government continued to give contradictory advice, with a prominent minister, Michael Gove, resisting the idea of mandating masks and saying that they were instead a matter of “courtesy and good manners.”Masks have been mandatory on public transportation in England since mid-June. The government had previously encouraged masks in enclosed spaces, but Mr. Johnson resisted wearing one himself until Friday. As recently as this weekend, the government continued to give contradictory advice, with a prominent minister, Michael Gove, resisting the idea of mandating masks and saying that they were instead a matter of “courtesy and good manners.”
The government has indicated that the police, rather than shop owners, will enforce the new rules, with anyone who refuses facing a fine up to 100 pounds, or $125.The government has indicated that the police, rather than shop owners, will enforce the new rules, with anyone who refuses facing a fine up to 100 pounds, or $125.
U.S. roundupU.S. roundup
The back-and-forth closings of many small businesses is forcing some to permanently close. An argument over mask wearing in a dairy store near Lansing, Mich., turned violent early on Tuesday, ending with one man fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy and another treated for stab wounds.
Nearly 66,000 businesses have folded since March 1, according to data from Yelp, which provides a platform for local businesses to advertise their services and has been tracking announcements of closings posted on its site. While it’s not clear how many of the businesses tracked by Yelp are considered small by the federal government’s standards (with 500 or less employees), the company found that businesses were closing permanently at a higher rate than in the previous three months, from June 15 to June 29, the most recent period for which data is available. The Eaton County authorities said the dispute erupted before 7 a.m. when Sean Ernest Ruis, 43, was in the store and not wearing a mask, as he was required to do under a state order that took effect early Monday. An older customer argued with Mr. Ruis about it, and the store refused to serve him.
And that may be an undercount. Researchers at Harvard estimated that nearly 110,000 small businesses across the country had decided to shut down permanently between early March and early May, based on data collected in weekly surveys by Alignable, a social media network for small-business owners. Officials said that Mr. Ruis pulled out a knife and stabbed the older man, and then fled the scene, but was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy, who shot Mr. Ruis after he walked “towards the deputy with knife in hand.” Mr. Ruis died during surgery at a nearby hospital.
In Wichita Falls, Texas, Mick Larkin, the owner of a karaoke club, closed his business permanently when the governor announced a second shuttering of bars to stem the spread of the virus. At the time, Mr. Larkin had purchased $1,000 worth of perishable goods and protective equipment in preparation for reopening. People have been arguing over compliance with mask-wearing orders and guidelines since the pandemic took hold. Though health experts stress that wearing face masks in public can greatly retard the spread of the coronavirus, some people resent being told to wear them, and others resent their refusal. Tempers have often flared, and arguments have sometimes turned violent.
In other news from around the United States:In other news from around the United States:
North Carolina will allow schools to reopen in the fall, but at no more than half their usual capacity, the governor announced on Tuesday. He said districts could meet the capacity restriction by, for example, having students attend on alternate days. Everyone, teachers and students alike, would have to wear masks. And districts would not have to reopen; they could opt to continue with all-remote instruction, the governor said.
Oklahoma added 993 cases on Tuesday for a single-day record, and Florida reported 9,194 cases, fewer the record reported on Sunday. According to a Times database, California, Florida and Texas had reported a total of at least 892,000 cases through Monday, when there were at least 30,000 new cases recorded across the three states.Oklahoma added 993 cases on Tuesday for a single-day record, and Florida reported 9,194 cases, fewer the record reported on Sunday. According to a Times database, California, Florida and Texas had reported a total of at least 892,000 cases through Monday, when there were at least 30,000 new cases recorded across the three states.
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration on Monday, seeking to block a new rule that would revoke the visas of foreign students who take classes entirely online in the fall. More than 1,000 employees of the C.D.C. have signed a letter calling for the agency to address “a pervasive and toxic culture of racial aggressions, bullying and marginalization” against Black employees. The pandemic has both highlighted and exacerbated racial inequities in the United States. A C.D.C. spokesman said Dr. Redfield has already responded to the letter but did not provide details.
The pandemic stripped an estimated 5.4 million American workers of their health insurance between February and May, according to a new analysis. The study, to be announced Tuesday by the nonpartisan consumer advocacy group Families USA, found that the estimated increase in uninsured workers was nearly 40 percent higher than the highest previous increase, during the recession of 2008-9, when 3.9 million adults lost insurance.The pandemic stripped an estimated 5.4 million American workers of their health insurance between February and May, according to a new analysis. The study, to be announced Tuesday by the nonpartisan consumer advocacy group Families USA, found that the estimated increase in uninsured workers was nearly 40 percent higher than the highest previous increase, during the recession of 2008-9, when 3.9 million adults lost insurance.
The U.S. budget deficit grew to a record $864 billion for June as the federal government pumped money into the economy to prop up workers and businesses affected by the pandemic, the Treasury Department said.The U.S. budget deficit grew to a record $864 billion for June as the federal government pumped money into the economy to prop up workers and businesses affected by the pandemic, the Treasury Department said.
Researchers are reporting what they say is the first confirmed case of the virus being transmitted during pregnancy from a woman to her baby. Several White House officials this week have denied any attempts to undermine Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, for his stark analysis of the pandemic. But Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff for communications and one of Mr. Trump’s most trusted advisers, undercut that message with an insulting Facebook cartoon.
The baby, born in a Paris hospital in March, developed symptoms of inflammation in his brain, but recovered without treatment, said Dr. Daniele De Luca, who led the research team and is chief of the division of pediatrics and neonatal critical care at Paris Saclay University Hospitals.
The baby, now more than three months old, is “Very much improved, almost clinically normal,” Dr. De Luca said, adding that the mother, who needed oxygen during the delivery, is now completely healthy.
Dr. De Luca said the virus appeared to be transmitted through the placenta of the 23-year-old pregnant woman. Since the pandemic began, there have been isolated cases of newborns testing positive for the virus, but there has not been enough evidence to rule out the possibility that the infants became infected by the mother after they were born, experts said. In this case, Dr. De Luca said, the team was able to test the placenta, amniotic fluid, cord blood and the baby’s blood.
The testing indicated that “the virus reaches the placenta and replicates there,” Dr. De Luca said. It can then be transmitted to a fetus, who “can get infected and have symptoms similar to adult Covid-19 patients.”
Dr. Yoel Sadovsky, executive director of Magee-Womens Research Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, who was not involved in the study, said he thought the claim of placental transmission was “fairly convincing.” He said the relatively high levels of virus found in the placenta and the rising levels of virus in the baby, along with the baby’s symptoms “are all consistent with SARS-CoV-2 infection.”
Still, Dr. Sadovsky said, it is important to note that cases of possible coronavirus transmission in utero appear to be extremely rare. With other viruses, including Zika and rubella, placental infection is much more common, he said. With the coronavirus, “we are trying to understand the opposite: what underlies the relative protection of the fetus and the placenta,” he said.
Edgar Sandoval, a New York Times reporter whose family moved to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas in the mid-1990s, writes of his deeply personal ties to the pandemic:
As Texas struggles with a fierce new wave of infections that is overloading hospitals and challenging its biggest cities, one of the hardest-hit areas is in the Rio Grande Valley, where the close-knit family culture of generations of border families is one of several things that have helped fuel an alarming new spread.
Nearly 1 in 10 people infected with the virus in Texas is in Hidalgo County, which on Thursday surpassed its previous record with 1,274 new cases. More than 150 people have died.
As soon as the outbreak reached the border, I volunteered to report on the story because I know the area well. My family moved to the Rio Grande Valley in the mid-1990s, when I was 16. My parents, two sisters and their offspring all live on the same block outside of McAllen.
The virus has struck one of the poorest regions in the country, where most people cannot afford to stay home from work. The Valley, as locals call it, sits on the border with Tamaulipas, Mexico, and is dotted with colonias, orphan communities that have sprung up outside the cities, most without paved roads or sewer connections.
Seemingly overnight, people’s aunts, uncles, grandmas and cousins are falling victim, one by one.
“Three months ago very few knew anyone who had contracted the virus,” said Jim Darling, the mayor of McAllen, the largest city in Hidalgo County. “Now, you can’t find people who don’t know anyone who isn’t infected. It completely flipped.”
I never expected that I would be part of this story. The day before I boarded a plane from New York, my youngest sister sent me a text message that froze me in place.
“Brother, it looks like all of the Sandovales have Covid,” it read in Spanish.
Global roundupGlobal roundup
France celebrated public health workers as heroes during Bastille Day celebrations on Tuesday for their role during the pandemic, a day after granting them 8 billion euros ($9.06 billion) in pay raises.France celebrated public health workers as heroes during Bastille Day celebrations on Tuesday for their role during the pandemic, a day after granting them 8 billion euros ($9.06 billion) in pay raises.
The traditional Bastille Day parade down the Champs-Élysées in Paris was canceled because of the pandemic. Instead, after a military parade on the Place de la Concorde, President Emmanuel Macron and his government watched from a platform as doctors, nurses and other workers in their white hospital attire were honored. Mr. Macron also said on Tuesday that he wanted to make mask-wearing mandatory in enclosed public spaces, amid growing worries over a possible second wave. He said the government would draw up the new mask-wearing rules in the coming weeks and suggested that they could be enforced starting in August. The traditional Bastille Day parade down the Champs-Élysées in Paris was canceled because of the pandemic. Instead, after a military parade on the Place de la Concorde, President Emmanuel Macron and his government watched from a platform as doctors, nurses and other workers in their white hospital attire were honored.
Mr. Macron also said on Tuesday that he wanted to make mask wearing mandatory in enclosed public spaces, amid growing worries over a possible new wave. He said the government would draw up the new mask-wearing rules in the coming weeks and suggested that they could be enforced starting in August.
Doctors, nurses, retirement home employees and others were widely praised, and the French government had promised to address longstanding requests for increased hospital funding, better pay and more staffing.Doctors, nurses, retirement home employees and others were widely praised, and the French government had promised to address longstanding requests for increased hospital funding, better pay and more staffing.
After seven weeks of intense negotiations with the government, most health care unions and the government struck a deal that gives nurses, aides and other hospital or nursing home workers over $200 in monthly raises, as well as new bonuses for overtime and night work.After seven weeks of intense negotiations with the government, most health care unions and the government struck a deal that gives nurses, aides and other hospital or nursing home workers over $200 in monthly raises, as well as new bonuses for overtime and night work.
The deal also provides 450 million euros for doctors, mostly to increase an existing bonus for those who choose to work only in the public sector. Over all, the deal affects about 1.8 million health workers.The deal also provides 450 million euros for doctors, mostly to increase an existing bonus for those who choose to work only in the public sector. Over all, the deal affects about 1.8 million health workers.
In other news from around the world:In other news from around the world:
An Egyptian journalist who was jailed last month on charges of spreading fake news died from the coronavirus on Monday, officials said, amplifying concerns that the pandemic is spreading inside Egypt’s crammed prisons. The reporter, Mohamed Monir, 65, was detained after appearing on Al Jazeera, the Qatari-owned channel that is banned in Egypt. He was released July 2 after falling ill, and last week he posted a video on Facebook saying he was struggling to breathe. Researchers on Tuesday reported strong evidence that the virus can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to a fetus. A baby born in a Paris hospital in March to a mother with Covid-19 tested positive for the virus and developed symptoms of inflammation in his brain, said the doctor who led the research team. The baby, now more than 3 months old, recovered without treatment, the doctor said, adding that the mother, who needed oxygen during the delivery, is healthy. The virus appeared to have been transmitted through the placenta.
An Egyptian journalist who was jailed last month on charges of spreading fake news died from the virus on Monday, officials said, amplifying concerns that the pandemic is spreading inside Egypt’s crammed prisons. The reporter, Mohamed Monir, 65, was detained after appearing on Al Jazeera, the Qatari-owned channel that is banned in Egypt. He was released July 2 after falling ill, and last week he posted a video on Facebook saying he was struggling to breathe.
Revenue at Delta Air Lines declined by 88 percent in the second quarter compared to a year earlier, reflecting what its chief executive described as the “truly staggering” toll the pandemic has had on the aviation industry.Revenue at Delta Air Lines declined by 88 percent in the second quarter compared to a year earlier, reflecting what its chief executive described as the “truly staggering” toll the pandemic has had on the aviation industry.
Consumers in Europe are going on shopping sprees as their economies reopen, offering hope that a fragile recovery from a deep recession may be taking hold.Consumers in Europe are going on shopping sprees as their economies reopen, offering hope that a fragile recovery from a deep recession may be taking hold.
Retail sales in the eurozone, which plunged to record lows while millions were confined, surged 17.8 percent in May compared with the month before, as people fanned out to buy furniture, electronics, clothing and computer equipment, Europe’s statistics agency reported this week. The biggest gains are in France and Germany, where spending has rebounded to near pre-confinement levels. Retail sales in the eurozone, which plunged to record lows while millions of people were confined, surged 17.8 percent in May from the month before, as consumers fanned out to buy furniture, electronics, clothing and computer equipment, Europe’s statistics agency reported this week. The biggest gains are in France and Germany, where spending has rebounded to near pre-confinement levels.
The current binge has doused some worries that Europeans may feel too shaken to spend again, as happened in China, where many chose to curtail expenditures after losing their jobs or having their pay slashed.The current binge has doused some worries that Europeans may feel too shaken to spend again, as happened in China, where many chose to curtail expenditures after losing their jobs or having their pay slashed.
“Consumers are driving the rebound across much of Europe more than expected,” said Holger Schmieding, the chief economist of Berenberg Bank. “There is a relief that lockdowns are over.”“Consumers are driving the rebound across much of Europe more than expected,” said Holger Schmieding, the chief economist of Berenberg Bank. “There is a relief that lockdowns are over.”
But whether people will keep opening their wallets remains to be seen. Spending is still around 7 percent lower than where it was before the pandemic.But whether people will keep opening their wallets remains to be seen. Spending is still around 7 percent lower than where it was before the pandemic.
Last week the European Commission warned that the economy would contract 8.7 percent in the eurozone this year, a significantly deeper recession than forecast just two months ago. The commission’s study assumed no second wave that closes Europe’s economies — a possibility it described as a “major risk.”Last week the European Commission warned that the economy would contract 8.7 percent in the eurozone this year, a significantly deeper recession than forecast just two months ago. The commission’s study assumed no second wave that closes Europe’s economies — a possibility it described as a “major risk.”
New York, once the center of the pandemic, is facing a disquieting new threat: Can they keep the virus suppressed when cases are surging in nearly 40 states? New York, once the center of the pandemic, is facing a disquieting new threat: Can it keep the virus suppressed when cases are surging in nearly 40 states?
That has led New York’s governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, to require travelers from states with outbreaks that meet certain criteria to quarantine for 14 days. On Tuesday, the list grew to include Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin while Delaware dropped off, bringing the total to 22 states. New Jersey and Connecticut are also asking travelers from those states to quarantine. And starting Tuesday, travelers arriving at New York airports will be required to fill out a form with their personal information and planned whereabouts, or face a $2,000 fine. New York’s governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, has been requiring travelers from states with outbreaks that meet certain criteria to quarantine for 14 days. And on Tuesday, the list grew to include Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin while Delaware dropped off, bringing the total to 22 states. New Jersey and Connecticut are also asking travelers from those states to quarantine. And starting Tuesday, travelers arriving at New York airports will be required to fill out a form with their personal information and planned whereabouts, or face a $2,000 fine.
But it is not all clear that restrictions will be followed — or are even enforceable. Tens of thousands of people enter New York daily through its airports, highways and train stations, and compliance depends largely on the whims of travelers. But it is not clear whether restrictions will be followed — or are even enforceable. Tens of thousands of people enter New York daily through its airports, highways and train stations, and compliance depends largely on the whims of travelers.
Mr. Cuomo has warned it is almost inevitable that the virus will seep back into the state, much the way it came to New York through flights from Europe in February. He has also raised concerns that some New Yorkers may let their guard down and blamed local governments for not enforcing mask wearing and social distancing. Mr. Cuomo has warned it is almost inevitable that the virus will seep back into the state, much the way it came to New York through travelers from Europe in February. He has also raised concerns that some New Yorkers may let their guard down and blamed local governments for not enforcing mask wearing and social distancing.
Epidemiologists said they were skeptical that his new measures would work.Epidemiologists said they were skeptical that his new measures would work.
“I think it’s going to be incredibly hard to keep the virus out of New York State,” said Isaac Weisfuse, a former New York City deputy health commissioner. “I think that these types of travel restrictions may be somewhat helpful, but we should assume that they’re not going to be airtight.”“I think it’s going to be incredibly hard to keep the virus out of New York State,” said Isaac Weisfuse, a former New York City deputy health commissioner. “I think that these types of travel restrictions may be somewhat helpful, but we should assume that they’re not going to be airtight.”
Several White House officials this week have denied any attempts to undermine Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, for his stark analysis of the pandemic. But Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff for communications and one of Mr. Trump’s most trusted advisers, undercut that message with an insulting Facebook cartoon.
On Sunday evening, Mr. Scavino posted a rendering of Dr. Fauci that likened him to a faucet, with water drops labeled with messages considered antithetical to White House policy — “Schools stay closed this fall!” “Indefinite lockdown!” “Shut up and obey!”
“At least you know if I’m going to disagree with a colleague, such as yourself, it’s done publicly — and not cowardly, behind journalists with leaks,” Mr. Scavino wrote in a caption accompanying the post. “See you tomorrow!”
The cartoon contained errors: Dr. Fauci has publicly said he favors returning children back to school but that decisions should be made by taking the level of cases in each district into account, and he has argued against more widespread lockdowns after pushing for an extensive one earlier this year.
The cartoon was drawn by the artist Ben Garrison, whose work is often promoted by alt-right figures. Last year, Mr. Garrison was disinvited from a White House gathering of the president’s social media fans because his work contains anti-Semitic messaging.
Mr. Scavino posted the cartoon one day after The Washington Post published a story that detailed how officials have kept Dr. Fauci from television interviews, and have accused Dr. Fauci of being wrong in their behind-the-scenes communications with reporters. Dr. Fauci was back at the White House on Monday meeting with Mark Meadows, the chief of staff — but not Mr. Trump. On Tuesday, the White House declined to comment on Mr. Scavino’s post.
More than 1,000 employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have signed a letter calling for the agency to address “a pervasive and toxic culture of racial aggressions, bullying and marginalization” against Black employees.
Dated June 30 and addressed to the director of the C.D.C., Dr. Robert R. Redfield, the letter said, “After decades of well-meaning, yet underfunded, diversity and inclusion efforts, we have seen scant progress in addressing the very real challenges Black employees experience at C.D.C.”
The pandemic has both highlighted and exacerbated racial inequities in the United States.
The letter comes as the C.D.C. is confronting the most urgent public health emergency in its 74-year history. The federal response to the pandemic has been characterized as slow and ineffectual, and some have criticized the C.D.C. for its failure to anticipate and explain the pandemic’s effect on Black and Latino people.
At the same time, widespread demonstrations for racial justice following the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and others at the hands of the police have prompted people and institutions across the country to acknowledge and confront enduring forms of racism.
The letter listed seven grievances and dozens of requests. It called for the agency to publicly acknowledge that systemic racism is a public health crisis, expand internship and fellowship opportunities to students at historically Black colleges and universities, and adopt mandatory implicit bias training.
A C.D.C. spokesman said Dr. Redfield has already responded to the letter but did not provide any details.
As many U.S. courthouses try to reopen, people who work in the courts are coming down with the virus, forcing the buildings to close again.
In St. Louis, the federal courthouse closed Monday after a security guard tested positive and that person’s contacts had to be quarantined. In the Atlanta suburb of Gwinnett County, Ga., an employee came down with the virus, shutting the clerk’s office for two weeks. And in Kanawha County, W.Va., the court clerk’s office was shuttered abruptly on Monday after a worker tested positive.
“This emergency makes it unsafe for court personnel, attorneys, parties, and others to be at or near the Kanawha County Circuit Clerk’s office until negative test results are obtained for remaining employees,” the chief judge there said in an emergency order.
In Johnson County, Kan., where new infections are being reported at twice the rate they were two weeks ago, cases among court employees and their acquaintances prompted the chief judge to call off this week’s in-person hearings.
“We must be cautious and responsible to minimize exposure to ourselves, our staff and the public who use the courthouse facilities expecting to be safe,” court officials said in a statement. “We must remember we are still dealing with a highly contagious and unpredictable disease.
As the pandemic continues, many parents, struggling to balance work and child care, are hiring nannies again. But some parents are looking for new qualifications, including whether a caregiver had the virus, is willing to relocate or has teaching experience.As the pandemic continues, many parents, struggling to balance work and child care, are hiring nannies again. But some parents are looking for new qualifications, including whether a caregiver had the virus, is willing to relocate or has teaching experience.
Reporting was contributed by Liz Alderman, Sarah Almukhtar, Pam Belluck, Aurelien Breeden, Niraj Chokshi, Michael Cooper, Michael Corkery, Reid J. Epstein, Nicholas Fandos, Manny Fernandez, Luis Ferré-Sadurní, Emily Flitter, Jacey Fortin, Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura, Michael Gold, Dana Goldstein, Erica L. Green, Shawn Hubler, Miriam Jordan, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Dan Levin, Patricia Mazzei, Constant Méheut, David Montgomery, Benjamin Mueller, Azi Paybarah, Alan Rappeport, Nate Schweber, Michael D. Shear, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Mitch Smith, Eileen Sullivan, Jim Tankersley, Declan Walsh, Noah Weiland and Sameer Yasir. Reporting was contributed by Liz Alderman, Sarah Almukhtar, Pam Belluck, Aurelien Breeden, Niraj Chokshi, Michael Cooper, Michael Corkery, Reid J. Epstein, Nicholas Fandos, Manny Fernandez, Luis Ferré-Sadurní, Emily Flitter, Jacey Fortin, Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura, Michael Gold, Dana Goldstein, Erica L. Green, Shawn Hubler, Miriam Jordan, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Dan Levin, Patricia Mazzei, Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio, Constant Méheut, Sarah Mervosh, David Montgomery, Benjamin Mueller, Azi Paybarah, Alan Rappeport, Nate Schweber, Michael D. Shear, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Mitch Smith, Eileen Sullivan, Jim Tankersley, Lucy Tompkins, Declan Walsh, Noah Weiland and Sameer Yasir.